KOA used to mean some degree of quality. This park is terrible. The owners have not spent any money on upkeep or improvements. Many sewer connections are buried or 16 inches high, pads cracked, cable is poor and they haven't planted a tree, shrub or flower in 30 years. The picnic tables are falling apart, fire ants are everywhere, no shade and the water view is of a retention pond. At $35 a night, it is relatively cheap, but it is over priced for what you get. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We called ahead to reserve a site and were not told that there was no usable water and the hot tub was broken (which was part of the reason we picked that park). We paid for a night, set up camp and called back to say we would stay a week.They advised they would give us the week rate however when we went to pay she "couldn't go back on the computer" so we paid the daily rate. The lakes are small lagoons. Most of the exercise equipment was broken and actually dangerous. We paid $17.00 a week for Tengo. Fire ants, no see ems black flies - one couldn't sit outside. We spoke to the GM who said he would "do something" but did nothing. You could not be without a car as everything was so far away. Not a good pick. Kudos however to the friendly maintenance staff. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We read the comments from other customers of this campground and decided to check it out in person before making a choice. This park is unique because it's both a KOA and a Encore property. Our rate reflects the Encore rate because it's a better deal if you stay more than a few nights. Pine Island Resort is an older park with many park models but everyone is extremely friendly and helpful. It does have lots of seniors but they are very young at heart and love to have a good time. The new managers are improving the property with the support of the the general manager who was on site often. Everything was well maintained or in the process of being improved. If there was a problem the front office took care of it immediately. They don't have pull throughs but the staff will help you drop your trailer, car or whatever and store it free of charge if you are staying for a while. Pine Island is a little slice of "OLD Florida" and a treat. The only thing that is tricky is the bridge to Pine Island which is narrow and under construction. We stayed at the resort for 2 months in a motorhome and plan on staying again. The people were just lovely. Also, much of the island is a preserve and they don't spray for flying bugs like on the mainland. There are "no see ums" at night and you do have to spray for them. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park is large with concrete pads which are in need of repair. The big rig sites are all back ins. The pads need to be improved, but the staff is friendly. The internet is not free, but should be included for the rate charged. It's a great location, but you may want to look around before deciding to stay here. We are here with friends but would not stay here if we weren't traveling with a small group. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Read the reviews and was a little nervous about staying here. All for not! What a really great time I had with our four kids. The staff was super friendly, the activities were plentiful. The jacuzzi was very hot and the swimming pool outstanding. We play shuffle board, horseshoes, and tennis. The store seemed well stocked. The showers and bathrooms were very clean and the hot water plentiful. Although you are in Florida so be on the look out for fiddler crabs. I would stay here again. We went to Fleamasters flea market (about an hour away). you may check to see if your electric and water will be on your left or right. also the biking trails through the mangroves...its the sidewalk going the length of the island, none to speak of by the campsite. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a beautiful location with some of the friendliest, helpful employees. Their maintenance staff were particularly helpful. We stayed 5 nights and loved the peaceful surroundings and yet closeness to Ft Myers. This was a special place for us. We highly recommend it. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The park listed as having shady sites. None in the park. Our site backed up to a drainage ditch and was located across from the seasonal sites. Had a bad odor in the park. The office said it was from the mangroves in the ditch. We found out later that the wind was blowing from the direction of their sewage plant. The tent sites are located in the middle of the RV sites on the pond. There was loud music coming from that area until 1:30am. The next day it started at 12pm. I went to the office to complain but they said there was nothing they could do as it was a family campground. I told them that we were checking out early but they refused to refund any money. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It has been quite a while since we stayed at any KOA's as our impression is that many are not what they used to be. Sad to say, this park lived up to that lack of expectation and was an overall disappointment. Most of the sites (that even have pads) are broken concrete slabs that need replacement or too short to accommodate our 40' Class A. The counter staff was not friendly at all, nor accommodating. The assistants driving the golf carts were the exception, and were pleasant, friendly and helpful. KOA did not accept Passport America discount, despite being listed in current PA website and considering the park was less than 50% full. We paid $38 plus a $3.00 resort fee (they should rename that, as this is far from a "resort") and were told this was the off-rate price. The campground has a few small ponds, but is NOT on the water, nor is it near any beaches or other significant attractions. The "designated dog walking area" is a non-dedicated, non-fenced area, more correctly defined as the side of the main road. No plans to return to this campground anytime soon, if ever. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The Bad: If you are looking for a beach vacation, this is the wrong campground. It is in an isolated area on an island with NO beaches. The closest beach is a 45 minute drive away. The website claims that there is daily bus service to the beach, but it did not run any of the days that we were there in March. When it runs, it runs once/day and costs $2/person. Be prepared to drive some distance for almost anything you want to do. When we booked our reservation, we pre-paid for it, so it was a surprise to find that we were charged an additional $3/person resort amenity fee when we arrived. Since there is a charge for the bus (which didn't run while we were there), a charge for Wi-Fi, and the daily rate was not cheap, it seemed excessive and should be disclosed when reservations are made. There is a small crowded pool. Smoking and drinking were allowed anywhere around the pool even though there were a lot of children there. Wi-Fi (Tengo internet) was supposed to be available for another $4.95/day, but we couldn't stay online long enough to pay for it. There is limited cable TV. The showers were small and dinghy looking, so we didn't use them. The sites were utilitarian looking and although we requested a site backing to the trees, we were given an inner loop site with sites backing to us and directly beside us. The cancellation policy is quite strict - you must cancel more than 48 hours BEFORE you arrive, so if you book a week and change your mind about staying there on the first day, you can be denied any refund for the final days. The Good: This could be an interesting place for a snowbird to spend the winter, esp. if you enjoy fishing or hanging out at the campground. There was a tennis court, small camp store, nice bike paths on the island, etc. The ferry ride to Cayo Costa was a lot of fun. The sites are level and have a concrete patio. We would not stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Closest thing to a trailer park in the middle of nowhere that I've seen. Nothing around to go to except a few restaurants. Matlacha is is supposed to be an 'art' community nearby (bunch of junk). Gave me a "lake front" at first: think big pond with cattails all the way around. But the hookups were so strange you either needed a 30' sewer extension or 30' electric extension. Next spot was 1/4 mile from the dinky pool. No trees, nothing to look at except the lady next door's 40 DD's hanging on her awning. Spots are so close: my neighbor is approximately 3 feet from my back end of camper. Booked a week, leaving after 3 days and forfeiting my money for the rest just to get out of here! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Good park. Not many shaded sites. Good paved roads. Good check in with store. There are some good eateries on Pine Island and a great place to go if you like to fish. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice park, very helpful staff, pool area and hot tub excellent, easy access, excellent cycling area, would return to this one. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great place to relax due to off season time. Park is on a quiet Island with not much development. Wi-Fi was $4.95 a day and very spotty. We had a car and did some exploring of Ft Myers and Naples. Sites and restrooms were very clean. Cable TV was very good. Our site was on one of the small lakes and had a nice breeze. Garbage was picked up every day.There were a lot of permanent RV's on site but all were very clean and neat. The only reason for the lower rating was the noseeums, they were very bad all day long. All the staff was very friendly and courteous. We would stay there again but not at this time of the year due to the noseeums. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful park on Pine Island. Enjoyed the hot tub and pool in the evening hour. Nice that they were both early and late. All paved 50 amp every were. Three nice ponds on property. Staff absolutely wonderful. Really makes you feel at home. I would definitely come here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We loved this park! The park was clean, people were extremely friendly, and the sites were very nice. It does have many permanent park models but they are all very well kept and clean. It does have a playground but it does not have a slide which would be our only "complaint" as we have a 2 year old son. The dog area was big and very nice! The pool was awesome! It is heated to 85 degrees and felt very nice even on cooler days! They offer breakfast and poolside lunch on certain days which was very good! We camped here with our 2 year old son and he loved it as well. You will have to travel to go to a beach or many other activities. It is about a 40 minute drive to a nice beach or other attractions. There are not really any beaches on the island. This did not bother us as the island is not very busy or commercialized which we liked. If you like biking, the bike trail is paved, and goes from one end of the island to the other. There is a ferry that you can get on at the North side of the Island that will take you to a small island that has a beach as well. If you are looking for a nice, secluded, well kept, clean and very friendly campground, definitely stay here! We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a nice quiet site with good spacing between rigs. My only complaint is the Wi-Fi which is supplied by Tengo. The wireless signal was good but the internet capability was very poor. I suspect it was a case of too many users and not enough broadband input. The Wi-Fi was down every time it rained. I would have given this a 10 out of 10 but for the Wi-Fi problems. As an aside, there are little or no beaches on Pine Island (and not much else) so a car is almost a necessity. We camped here in a Motorhome.
After reading other reviews on this campground, I was hesitant to visit with my two boys: 8 years old. We visited in the summer, and it was very, very empty. The sites are close together, and the concrete pads were cracked, but that doesn't bother me. We arrived late, but the host was quick to help us out. He was friendly and helpful. My kids really enjoyed the pool, tennis, and shuffleboard. It was really a laid back weekend. We did not have a vehicle to explore the island, but we really enjoyed the downtime just enjoying the time at the park. During the winter, they have shuttles to various places on the island, and I will revisit during that time of the year. I asked the kids if they wanted to go back again, and it was a definite yes! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
March 2009
$40
The office staff is rude and incompetent. They overcharged us for a night, and after numerous calls, we finally called KOA home office who got it straightened out for us. They apparently have a manager who is never around and is the only person who can authorize credits. In fact, they lied and said they'd given us a credit which KOA's home office found was not so. The campground is in a very secluded area. A car is a must there. I saw no children around the park, and the people staying there were mostly older. They advertised free wireless internet, but they do charge for it now. I would not recommend this park mainly because of how rude their office staff is. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Many annual and seasonal residents who have the 50 amp sites and the water sites. Many pads in this older KOA are cracked and the sites are on the small side. Staff will assist you if you have difficulty fitting into the assigned site. Seasonal s are very friendly and helpful and the area is rural. Very limited beach areas on Pine Island so plan to travel 25-30 miles as the roads go to get to a beach. Lots of art and craft shops plus some interesting seafood eateries on the island. We camped here in a Motorhome.
It was a nice park that caters to the older RV crowd. The pool was heated, and the bathroom was nice. CONS-the hot tub was really really scalding hot, and our cable did not work and It was not a good place for children. There is no beach on Pine Island (even though it is on an island) and you will need to ride your bike around 8 miles to get groceries from the nearest Winn Dixie/CVS. It was a super quiet place and the people were friendly. A couple of miles the other way are a couple of nice small places to eat. We ended up driving over to Ft. Myers beach after the first night found RV beach parking for $15 and free parking on Lovers Key. Both were great beaches. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We spent 6 nights at the camp, and thought that the overall experience was terrible. Foremost was their assertion that they have WIFI. They do, but only in a central location and then you need extreme luck to log in. When we complained the staff was extremely discourteous, and when we asked about a refund for the unused days, they simply stated that the managers were not available. Sites are crampred, There are strong odors in the campground. Pine Island is a long ride to most places in the Ft Myers area. On the positive side the "regular" long-termers did seem to have a lot to do. Avoid this place if enjoying the Ft Myers area is your intent. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here for over 2 months, and enjoyed every minute of it. If you're looking for a place to relax and unwind, this is it! Since we don't have children, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the pool without being splashed or hearing kids screaming. It definitely caters to an older crowd, and there are many full-time residents here. Some of them are friendlier than others, but overall it was a very pleasant vacation. We enjoyed watching the eagles overhead and long bike rides along the wonderful paths. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Our experience was not a good one. I had spoken to staff via phone prior to our arrival and requested a site very close to the pool. This was necessary due to a physical problem which prevents me from walking more than a few minutes. I was assured twice that I was "very close" to the pool. I was not. Since we traveled in a motorhome with no tow car it was next to impossible to get to the pool. The site was not well kept. We had 3 large ant hills right outside our door, a broken picnic table and weeds. The sites are very close together and in our case the neighbors picnic table was right under our bedroom window. It was impossible to sleep due to noise from their conversation. The hot tub was impossible to use to the extremely high temperature and nothing was ever done even after complaints by guests. The WiFi did not work well and the cable TV provided poor reception on several stations. I heard another camper say that they had ask 3 or more times to have cable TV fixed with no response. I can't recommend this campground. It needs modernization and repairs. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
January 2009
$48
This is an older park that badly needs updating to their sites. All of the concrete pads are cracked and in poor condition. We were very disappointed in this park. We were supposed to have what they call premium site, was far from it. It was so sloped that our first attempt to level, our levelers sank a foot into the sand. We would not return to this park. We were very upset that it has the KOA affiliation, it should not have. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We were going to stay at this campground last week. We did not make reservations, but did call to see if there were any vacancies, and they had plenty. Boy, were we glad that we called and did not make a reservation. We are over 55, but did not want to stay in this campground. No tress, no shade. The place was pretty dumpy. It needed lots of work and for the price was not worth it. The roads and the concrete sites were in sad shape. Just glad we did not make reservations. We drove through the campground and then left. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is no longer a KOA campground according to the office staff. It is now an Encore park and is called Pine Island RV Resort. There are still some KOA logos around, not sure why This campground appears to be very old. There has been nothing done to upgrade its appearance. Cement pads were cracked with some worse than others. When we were brought to our assigned site the hookups were quite a distance away. We were placed in another site. After hooking up we found that there was a faulty electrical panel. Maintenance people came right over and replaced the panel. There are many old trailers and some permanent motor homes in this campground. There are plenty of activities for adults. Just about every day there is something on the schedule from breakfast being served, to card games, bingo, etc. There were a few families with children but I got the impression it was geared to an over 55 crowd. This was an ok place but not sure if we would return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We camped here thinking that this was close to Sanibel Beach. It turned out we miscalculated -- it was 30+ miles away. There was very little to do on Pine Island - no beach. The campground itself was very basic: paved sites but lots of cracks and we had concerns about leveling legs. Also, we tried to do laundry but found that you had to be completely done by 10pm which wasn't possible after a long day and drive to the beach. In addition, the change machine was broken and no nearby stores to give you change. Not the most family oriented site however, the staff were very friendly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Concur that it is expensive for what it offers. Good campground if you are 55+. Nice and polite staff. Had difficulty getting into a space in our 30 ft travel trailer (lake site are short and power/water are not all standard). Island has little to offer, but it is quiet. Not recommended if you have kids. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a nice enough camp site in terms of facilities but it's pretty barren and quite a way from the few facilities that Pine Island provides. However the pool and hot tub are good, as is the little playground next door, though it's a bit of a hike from the other end of the site. If you're looking for some life and action though, especially for the kids, then Pine Island isn't the place to come because it's quiet and there aren't any beaches. Sanibel Island is much better for this kind of stuff but it's a fair drive from here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here for the month of January. We were pleased with the service we received and the added advantage of the shuttle bus. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is the third time we have been at this KOA in the past six months. Some people say that there is nothing to do on Pine Island. Well, that is somewhat the point. Pine Island is not developed. You will not find any condos, only one gas station, one supermarket and one drug store is on the island. Fishing is the main leisure activity and the waters around Pine Island and close-by Sanibel Island are some of the most beautiful. Of course, Ft. Meyers and Coral City are not too far. Get a spot on the lake and wake up to some of the most beautiful birds that you will ever see. We camped here in a Tent.
Over priced, even for the area. Park offers free buse rides to town. Not much to do in the area. Will stay in town next time. We camped here in a Motorhome.